1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of radio and network communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for providing backchannel feedback from a radio receiver to a radio signal provider.
2. The Relevant Technology
Numerous forms of live media are proliferating today. For example, satellite radio, or Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS), is the broadcast of digital audio programming via satellites directly to subscribers or users. Through satellite radio, subscribers can receive high quality, uninterrupted, digital data such as radio over many different radio channels. Digital radio content includes, for example, digital quality music, talk radio, sports, news, weather, and the like. More traditionally, terrestrial broadcast media such as FM and AM radio allow radio signals to be widely broadcast to users having FM or AM receivers.
Regardless of the type of media or content delivered over radio or satellite systems, however, each is limited in that direct feedback to the broadcaster is difficult to perform rapidly or on a wide scale basis. For example, radio stations often rely upon listeners calling the radio station to request songs or respond to disk jockey queries. Some radio stations have also recently taken to receiving feedback by email or through a website. Though rapid, obtaining this sort of feedback is limited by the number of calls that can be received and by the fact that it is user and resource intensive. It is user intensive in that a listener must take the time to call in, which reduces the number of listeners willing to provide feedback. Additionally, those listeners that do call in tend to be either repeat callers or people that form a limited type of the listener base that is not necessarily representative of the entire listener base. Further, receiving calls can be taxing on a radio station, whether in terms of manpower to receive the calls, phone lines that must be maintained, or machinery that must be maintained to automatically receive and compile calls.
Alternatively, to get feedback from a large sample of the population, radio stations typically rely upon surveys or ratings services. Though more thorough, after the fact surveys take time to be prepared, do not provide the desired rapid feedback, and do not record aspects of a listener's experience that the user may not consciously consider. As a result, whether feedback is on a per caller basis or an after the fact survey, stations cannot easily know what their listeners are thinking or how different programming is affecting their listening base.
Accordingly, what is needed are faster, more broad based systems for obtaining feedback and listener data from a large sample set of the listening population.